


The Gods We Know

by Skriiven



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Limeblood Karkat, Magic, Multi, Post SBURB, humans as gods
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-18
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2017-12-15 10:16:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/848333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skriiven/pseuds/Skriiven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Civilizations are born, thrive, and eventually fall.  Their ruins are found by the next generation of sentient beings, and are explored extensively.  There’s always that question, <i>what were they like?</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The trolls are all in their twenties, just so you can have a good reference for starting this fic. They also don't look like trolls, but I'll explain that in the story. Thanks for taking the time to read it!
> 
> Characters © Hussie

Imagine a place where darkness was light. Night was a time to be busy and work, while daylight hours were designated to rest. This place had a written history that went back a little more than 400 years, though the planet itself was ancient. That is the way it is, for most societies. Creatures, humans and animals alike, come and go, while nature goes on forever. Civilizations are born, thrive, and eventually fall. Their ruins are found by the next generation of sentient beings, and are explored extensively. There’s always that question, _what were they like?_

This world was no different. Seasons changed, kingdoms are lost, and new reigns began anew. 

This planet went by the name of Skaia, though the origins of the name are unknown. Some say it was the gods that gave it this title, while others say it was the first incarnation of the Zenith. In a way, it was both. The Zenith was the chosen denizen; the only being that could hear the voices of the gods. His blood burned brightly, red like the humans of old, the link between divinity and mortality. He was reborn after each death, the first guardian of the world. 

He resided in a temple, located within the capital of the country Alternia. It was a sanctuary to any who wished it; Karkat would turn no one away from his halls. Along the walls of the temple were pictures of the gods, eight humans who governed them all. The walls told their story, though the meaning was lost with time. It was hard to surmise what events transgressed when they inhabited the planet, but the people of Alternia knew that they were heroes. It was why they were worshipped, why people prayed to them before bed, talked to them as if they were friends. 

They were. The gods didn’t rule with the threat of punishment, they ruled with the offer of protection. They cared about each and every Alternian. This could be explained by one picture in particular, carved into the ceiling of the center chamber. It showed the meeting of the first Alternians and the humans, depicted as a giant circle of symbols, arranged around the planet. 

Karkat stood beneath the vaulted chamber, staring up at the ceiling with an idle look on his face, lime green eyes glowing. He was still in his morning robe, the gossamer red clothing settling on his shoulders a little precariously. It was tied with a decorated black sash around his waist; the entire outfit was embroidered with ancient designs from his sleeves to the hem that dusted along the floor, covering his bare feet. He’d had this robe for a long time now and was very fond of it; it had been a gift from the Empress from one of the more distant lands of Skaia. 

A red symbol hung around his neck, pressed against his bare chest; it was the sign of Cancer, a constellation in the sky, assigned only to the Zenith. It pulsed with each heartbeat, matching the lines that ran around the entire room in intricate designs and swirls, the light strongest beneath his feet. 

Every Alternian had a symbol corresponding to their general blood color; they received them at birth and were treasured above all else. Regardless of the varying shades of blood within the groups, there were only twelve colors that the symbols could glow and they were programmed before even being given to the newborn. Those symbols were their source of light, without it, one would be lost. The symbols oscillated between the energy of life and the planet, reverberating with the heartbeats of the user to resonate with the ensorcelled lines embedded everywhere within Alternia. 

Wow that escalated in complication. 

Basically the symbol makes the surrounding area of an Alternian glow with whatever color matched their blood. It made for a rather pretty nightlife. 

Dave liked to describe it as some “cool Atlantis shit” which was apparently a reference to a movie but Karkat wasn’t quite sure what a movie even was and he wasn’t going to give Dave the satisfaction of explaining it. The little shit would lord it over him for nights.

This way of using energy was the only major significance of an Alternian’s blood. Blood was treated as a description factor, nothing more important than something that could be used to decide horoscopes. Although some blood types were better at things than others that did not mean that they were specifically assigned to only those jobs, rather it could be defined as a suggestion to go into that field of work. Karkat prided himself on this system, implemented by his first self in the beginning of their country so as to avoid unnecessary prejudice and conflict between the blood groups. Alternia was peaceful and powerful, the surrounding kingdoms valued its wisdom and it held alliances with all but one.

Karkat’s arms were crossed within his robe, the sleeves hanging limp at his sides. One hand reached up to play with his symbol as he contemplated his most recent dream.

He didn’t remember much of his past lives; he knew only what he saw in small clips from his dreams. It was usually never anything significant; in fact, it was usually all dumb things. The smell of the air after a storm, walking down unfamiliar streets in the middle of the day, or traveling through a jungle with nothing on him but a sickle and a water skin. It was pointless, menial things that didn’t serve a purpose except to make him question what the actual fuck he had even been doing in the middle of a jungle in the first place. 

That was probably how that past self had died, eaten by large, angry jungle beasts.

Another thing he couldn’t figure out was why he looked different in every memory. He could only really see his skin, the memories were all in first person, but even that changed drastically every time. Sometimes he’d have grey, translucent, or even glow in the dark skin. One time he had even had horns. He assigned this factor to the random indulgences of his subconscious; maybe it could significantly alter his dream state to make himself different.

Dude, are you going to stare at that thing all night? Don’t you have some serious business to be getting to? I mean, I know you’re important and all, but shit, is staring at the ceiling really what you’re planning on wasting your morning on? That’s weird bro, and I’ve seen weird, so if I’m saying that’s weird, you know that shit’s on a whole new level.

Karkat’s eyes narrowed in a glare at the ceiling now, his gaze locking onto the symbol of a gear as Dave’s voice echoed in his head.

The fuck do you want Dave? Seriously, do you have nothing better to do than spend your time nitpicking what I waste my time on? I’m waiting for Kanaya dumbass; I can’t go out without her covering my blood.

You can’t really blame me; all this god stuff is pretty boring. I mean, in the beginning it’s all like, “woah cosmic powers, millions of people lay prostrate at my feet, I can style my hair with a snap of my fingers~” but in reality okay, wait no, that stuff is still all pretty cool, but there’s nothing to do up here! I mean seriously, I’ve been lying on this couch for the past few nights now watching you peeps and there’s nothing going on. This wouldn’t be so bad if you guys were more modern and had fuckin tv so I could watch a soap opera or some ironic shit like that, but no, John had to make you all look like pansy ass elves and throw you in the medieval ages like it’s gonna be some Legend of Zelda/Arthurian tragedy mashup. Seriously, I can’t believe this is what he does with his turn to be creator. My reign was totally cooler; you guys had free wifi everywhere and you only sang. It was a fucking musical every day. Just think about how cool that was, oh man, those days were the best. You were like a goddamn Disney princess. Is it ironic to say goddamn when I’m a god?

You’re rambling again about things that I don’t comprehend nor do I care about. Why don’t you just get off your lazy ass and go bug Dirk? I know you’re still sore about him yelling at you but considering you fucking decapitated his smuppet robot I think he had a valid defense.

Ugh, no dude, that thing was vile. Like, I know you don’t understand exactly what it was, but trust me, things like that shouldn’t exist in any realm. I am completely faultless and will remain here until that loser comes and apologizes for breaking my turntables.

Just fucking make new turntables! You’re a god remember, shit for brains?

It's just not the same.

I don’t have time for this.

Yes you do, remember, you were staring at the ceiling for the past hour? You’ve got all the time in the world my man, well, relatively speaking for a mere mortal.

...Have long have you been watching me?

I am so fuckin bored right now you would not even believe it.

Karkat rolled his eyes, not even phased at this point. The gods had been talking to him ever since he was a kid; having them watch him without his knowledge was nothing new. They didn’t mean any harm anyways, Karkat thought that maybe they just get a little lonely. He saw them sometimes, walking along the streets, following different people around. No one could see them. Karkat had asked Dave about that once and the only answer he had gotten was "we can’t directly influence regular people, we’ve gotta follow some strict old ass rules. Which sucks. A lot."

He turned toward one of the many hallways as he heard a familiar set of heels, smiling as Kanaya entered the room, her comforting jade glow mixing with red. She carried a small basket in the crook of her arm; it was filled with makeup supplies. “Good morning.” He said, his voice automatically dropping into a neutral tone.

Dude, it’s creepy as shit when you do that. How come you’re so passive around everyone except us?

You should tell Kanaya that she is looking particularly beautiful tonight; her outfit is very pleasing to the eye.

Woah, Rose, are you trying to use Karkat to woo Kanaya? That’s messed up.

Yes Dave, that is exactly what I am insinuating by having Karkat compliment my past girlfriend, you are so clever for having figured it out.

I know.

“Good morning Zenith, I am sorry to have been a little late, I was detained by a crowd in the market district.” Kanaya said. Her voice was elegant and articulated, matching her whole persona. A long black dress flowed around her ankles as she walked, the bright red ends of her shawl floating behind her. Those who served the Zenith decorated their clothes with accents of his blood color; it was considered a high honor. 

She narrowed her eyes as the distance between them receded, seeing exactly how he was wearing his robe. At her look he rolled his eyes, putting his arms back through the sleeves. Only his fingertips showed due to its wide placement at his shoulders. 

Kanaya was Karkat’s oldest friend. She had been looking after him ever since they were ten and she was officially assigned as his head assistant. Her mother and she were the only ones that knew of his secret, that his blood was lime instead of cherry, something unheard of for the Zenith. The blood colors were both exclusively his, no other Alternians had those shades, but the Zenith had only ever had cherry red blood before. 

Karkat was pretty sure he knew why his blood was lime green this time around, but he didn’t want to worry anyone with hypotheses and assumptions, preferring to keep the knowledge hidden. Kanaya helped him every morning to disguise it. Alternians normally had pale skin from their lack of sun exposure, which meant that in certain places their blood would show through fairly easily, tinting it the corresponding color. 

That wasn’t difficult to handle though, a little make up and the lime green shadows beneath his eyes disappeared. The main problem was what lay above those lack-of-sleep bruises. His irises, like all other Alternians, matched the color of his blood. Kanaya had a special mixture created that would change them for around twelve hours. When the sun's rays began to show once more over the horizon he had to make sure to retreat to the privacy of his chambers before they switched back, which was rather annoying.

“It’s busy already? It’s rather early isn’t it?” Karkat asked, surprised. He began walking when she reached him, heading towards his personal rooms. He matched his pace to hers, his usual rapid strides slowing down to accommodate her shorter gait. 

“There is a new merchant in the city and his crafts are rather exquisite. Apparently he makes jewelry with a high level of skill and was giving a demonstration on the creation of a necklace.” Kanaya said, her black painted lips pursing delicately. Her lips were normally painted a different shade each night, always matching her outfit perfectly.

Karkat looked at her with a raised eyebrow, a knowing grin growing on his face. “You wanted to buy it just so you could make a new outfit, didn’t you?”

“Well, maybe not that necklace in particular, but he had a lot of inspiring pieces. I think I am going to revisit him when I am done with my duties here, hopefully the rabid crowd will have thinned at that point. I am not much of one for rush hours.” Kanaya smiled back, her gaze travelling along the wall as they walked, looking at the depictions of the gods.

Karkat grasped the heavy brass ring of the one of the two doors to his chambers; the smooth metal was worn from centuries of use. The painted designs on them were faded where his fingers always touched, he kept meaning to get them touched up but never seemed to find the time. He held it open for Kanaya, his back pressed against the door as she walked through. The door shut of its own volition when he walked away from it, coming to a gentle stop and barely making a sound. 

The room they had entered was another, large vaulted circle. It was his study. The walls were lined with shelves of books and an elegant mahogany desk stood in the center. Upon that desk was a large map of Alternia; several pins were allocated to certain spots, pointing out the areas that needed improvement. Karkat pulled out his desk chair, turning it sideways to face Kanaya and sitting down rather indelicately.

Kanaya bit her lip to keep from smiling at his lapse in grace, revealing one long fang. He was always trying to be this impressive, serene idol that the people imagined him as, it was only in the little moments that she got a glimpse of what was really on the inside. She set her basket on the desk, leaning her hip against it while she pulled out a headband and pushed it through Karkat’s unruly mess of black curls. 

Pfffft.

Shut up Dave.

It gets me every time.

Go suck a dick.

John’s busy.

Karkat blushed and Kanaya looked at him curiously before she grinned, “Talking to the gods again?”

“No, I’m talking to a vexatious child.”

She chuckled and tilted Karkat’s head back, a hand placed beneath his chin as she administered the drops to his eyes. The mixture burned for the first few moments. Karkat closed his eyes tightly, counting backwards to try and distract himself. It itched like crazy but Kanaya yelled at him the last time he scratched at it, the mixture had gotten all over and had proceeded to turn his eyelashes red along with his irises. 

“You’re admirer told me to tell you that you’re looking particularly beautiful tonight.” Karkat commented while waiting for the sensation to subside. Kanaya turned his face as she began to apply a foundation, her lips growing into a soft smile.

“Oh did she now? I will have to stop by her shrine later to pay my respects and thank her for the compliment. What I have done to acquire the notice of a goddess is beyond me though.” The Zenith’s temple resided in a forest, halfway between the palace and the city. There were eight worn pathways that stretched from the temple, going off deeper into the wooded area, each of them dedicated to one of the gods. At the end of the pathways would be small springs or clearings with a statue of the particular deity and another pathway to connect them all in a giant circle. Karkat walked the paths each night, right before dawn. 

It was sort of his way of keeping in touch with them, even though he could hear them constantly in his head. When he visited their shrines they were usually hanging around there, in an ethereal form only visible to him. He kept them company while he cleaned up the shrine areas, sweeping and monitoring the plant growth around the stone bases. 

Kanya turned his face from side to side, checking that it was evenly covered before she picked up his hand. She brought out a bottle of paint, covering his nails expertly with a bright red hue. “That should do it then.” She said, screwing the cap on the bottle and placing her equipment back in the basket. 

“Thank you Kanaya.” Karkat said, standing back up and yawning, revealing all his pointed little teeth. He snagged one of his robes from his large closet, swinging around with it held against him for Kanaya’s approval. Three tries later and he was all ready to face the night. 

“Why don’t I watch the little tykes for the evening. You can go and get your pretty trinkets while I distract them.” Karkat said, fixing the sleeves of his simple black robe. It was embroidered with a sheer black thread so the designs were only shown when reflected by light.

Kanaya bowed elegantly in thanks, before picking up her basket and walking with him back to the center chamber. He turned to the hallway beside the one that Kanaya entered, it lead to the guest rooms of the temple. The walls of the hallway dropped off to be replaced by columns, allowing access to the inner courtyard. The fresh smell of the earth surrounded him and he closed his eyes as he walked, allowing the different scents of nature to overwhelm him. 

The sun’s rays were just fading in the distance, dulling his red light as he walked. He opened his eyes once more when the columns became solid stone again, walking past several doors before he stopped at one on the left. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity at seeing the door slightly ajar, before smiling when he saw a slight violet glow from beneath the doorframe. 

He pushed the door open slowly, walking in as unsuspectingly as he could. There were three small beds against the far end of the room; two of them carried little mounds that almost certainly had children hiding underneath them. The third was empty, though he knew where that one was. 

The door swung shut behind him and he turned to see a young boy standing behind him, holding a wooden sword. “Arg, put yer hands in the sky, yer bein’ ambushed by the dread pirate Dualscar!” He said, his voice squeaking as he tried to pull off a pirate’s gruff accent. He had a purple blanket tied around his neck, which he dramatically swooshed when Karkat looked down at him. “I’ll be takin’ all yer doubloons bucko.” There came a small cackle and a shush from the covers. 

“Oh no, not my doubloons! You’re so fearsome Mr. Pirate, won’t you have mercy on a poor soul?” Karkat held his hands up, dropping to his knees, “Oh whoever will save me from this mighty pirate?”

“I’ll save you! This is a job for, the Disciple!” A small girl jumped out from beneath the covers, bounding across the ground to dash around Karkat and tackle the dread pirate. As they rolled across the floor Karkat stood back up, brushing off his knees. A pair of red glasses peered out from beneath the last remaining bundle of covers. 

“Are you going to separate those two?” He asked, pointing his thumb at the bundled mess of green and violet, wondering what the third role was in this imaginary escapade.

“Redglare does not feel like getting involved with the petty squabbles of pirates and hunters. Redglare instead will wait until Meulin rips Cronus’ blanket and a trial is in order.” Came the voice, in a very sensible and yet gleeful tone.

Karkat laughed, “That’s my girl, you got your priorities in order.” Latula popped out of the covers when Karkat got near, holding her hands out to him. He picked her up, swinging her around before settling her on his hip. She cackled happily, clapping her hands. 

Latula was the oldest of the orphans, though they all acted the same age. She was seven and had an infatuation with social order and being a daredevil, it was a rather charming combination. 

Cronus was the middle child at the age of six. He had tattoos along his body, markings from the nomad tribes in the south; the tattoos were given at birth and were stylized as the individual grew older. Karkat didn’t know why Cronus had been orphaned, but the boy didn’t seem to mind, and he thought his markings gave him a rather cool edge. He told Karkat on several occasions that he intended on getting them updated when he was old enough and needles weren’t so scary.

The youngest of the group was Meulin. She found her way to the temple on her own, attaching herself to Karkat on one of his dawn walks and never letting go since. She was rather a wild one and on several occasions had made Cronus cry from playing too rough.

They had each been taken in at different times but they still regarded each other as family nonetheless, it was one of the most important things that Karkat taught them. Latula looked after the two younger ones, acting as a medium between the two. Cronus and Meulin could get a little out of hand if left to their own devices.

There was a ripping noise and Latula whispered, “My services are needed.” That was her signal for Karkat to put her down. 

They spent the rest of the evening playing Judge and Jury. When the Empress found them later Karkat was walking with them in the courtyard, listening to them rambling on about their make believe selves. Well, two of them were walking. Cronus was still upset over his blanket and was sulking on Karkat’s back. Latula and Meulin each held one of Karkat’s hands, simultaneously trying to pull him in opposite directions.

“Alright alright, one at a time.” Karkat complained. When they both wanted to go first he lifted his arms up, pulling them into the air and distracting them. They squealed and hung on tighter as he lifted his arms up and down, wondering how long he’d get to do this for before they were too big. There came a laugh behind him and he turned to see the Empress and Kanaya looking at them with bemused expressions. The Empress was wearing one of her adventuring outfits, which was mainly comprised of a lot of leather, an “adventuring” hat, and tall boots. A lasso was clipped to her belt, which Karkat still had to figure out the use for, he had never seen her use it and would be almost positive it was for decoration if he didn’t know her better.

“Aradia, you’re back.” Karkat said in surprise. He set the two girls back on the ground and they ran to Kanaya. He crouched down so that Cronus could slide off, but before the boy did so he squeezed Karkat’s shoulders, giving him an extra hug before taking off to follow the girls. Karkat smiled fondly at them as the kids and Kanaya disappeared down the hall, most likely to start their lessons. “How was your trip to another part of Alternia?” He asked Aradia, taking up a leisurely stroll with her. “I believe this time it was to Psiion? How are they doing?” 

Psiion was one of the many large cities that made up Alternia, overrun by mages and science. It was from Psiion that the lines of Alternia were made, the mages spent ten years working to cover the entirety of the country so that wherever an Alternian walked there could be light.

“It was wonderful Karkat, you wouldn’t believe all that they’ve accomplished! And their work on ships is progressing amazingly! The lead mage, called the Psiionic, showed me around, his work was spectacular. He singlehandedly drafted the new ship designs to run on an automatic power, similar to the symbols but it keys in with the pulsing of the waves.” She tipped her hat back so that she could look up at him without a brim obstructing her view. She was rather fond of her hat and wore it more often than her crown; which was ironic because Karkat had given it to her on her coronation night.

“You mean the current?”

“Oh don’t be so smart about it, that doesn’t sound half as fun. The Psiionic was so nice, he spent all his time answering my questions and taking me to their different schools of learning. It was wonderful! I wanted to ask him more about the ruins that they’d recently discovered but I ran out of time.”

“Sounds like someone is developing a crush, I assume this Psiionic wasn’t half bad to look at either, hm?”

“My eyes were in luxury the entire time.” Aradia and Karkat shared a grin. 

They soon found themselves outside, a canopy of leaves above their heads and the fresh scent of the forest surrounding them. It was a different kind of atmosphere than what was in the courtyard, more wild and fresh.

They walked as equals; the Zenith and the Empress ruled the country together. It wasn’t uncommon to see them spending time together and many nights, when Aradia was actually home, they would walk in the city together, taking in the sights and talking with their people. 

It was because of their close relationship and equal standing that Aradia found it easy to bring up a new topic, one that they had been feuding over for a while now. “Are you sure you wont change your mind?” She said, after there had been a significant pause in their conversation.

Karkat knew what she was referring to; they had been fighting over their neighboring country. Cherubim was the only surrounding country that they didn’t hold an alliance to and currently it was going through a rough spot as the new leader was being elected. The votes were split between a brother and sister, Calliope and Caliborn. 

It was unfortunate that the siblings shared such opposing personalities, for being twins it would have been expected that they were at least somewhat similar. Karkat was supporting Calliope, who he believed would be a fair and just ruler. His opinion was widely trusted by a lot of people who in turn would send their own support to Calliope. At the moment she had a greater chance of inheriting the throne than her brother, but the people of cherubim were volatile. This trait was reflected in their choice of deity to worship, they only paid attention to Roxy, the Goddess of thieves and debauchery. 

Cherubim and Alternia had a rough past but for a while now things had been peaceful. If Calliope was elected as the new leader then Karkat could count on her to join in an alliance, solidifying their already good standing.

Because of him supporting Calliope, this meant that Caliborn particularly hated Karkat. Aradia was afraid of what the malicious cherub would do; it wasn’t unheard of for Caliborn to use underhanded and rather violent tactics to get his way.

“I’m sorry but I can’t knowingly support a king that would rather kill his people than negotiate with them. That’s cruel, and violent. No one should have to live a life under such a tyrant.” Karkat said, firm in his beliefs.

Aradia sighed and they continued on in silence, a slight tension between them. When they reached John’s shrine Aradia waved the air between them like she could dissipate all the emotions with just the flick of her hand. It did serve to make Karkat smile. 

“Forget it, okay? I wont ask anymore. Just be careful.” She said, looking at him sincerely. 

Karkat dipped his head to her in reply; “I will proceed with the utmost caution in everything I do. I will wear gloves before handling papers even, in order to prevent the most foul paper cuts.”

Aradia punched him in the shoulder, grinning, “Oh hush up, humor me a bit.”

“That’s not very Empress-like.” Karkat pouted, rubbing his shoulder. “And in front of a god too.” He nodded his head towards the statue of an ever-smiling John, carved out of a blue stone. 

“He looks like he’s pleased and since when have I ever acted like an Empress?”

“You have a good point.” Karkat nodded before looking at the statue, masking his sarcasm, “Way to not have my back here John, I thought we were bros.”

Well you were being a smartass.

Dave is looking for you, John Egbert the Homosexual.

Daaaaave, what did you tell him this time!?

Nothin, I didn’t say a word. I swear on all that is good and ironic that not a peep has left these sanctimonious lips of musical genius. As if I could ever peep. What am I, a bird? No sir, I tell you, if I was to peep it would only be for the most ironic of situations and even then I would be hesitant to use it because I doubt even Dirk could understand the full ironic capacity of that single sound. Withheld within that tiny little utter of a squeak I will have unraveled all that makes up the definition of irony which may be a little too much for other peoples minds. Heck, even I am having a hard time comprehending this revelation without-

Dave.

Yes dear?

I’m gonna prank your ass so hard, you have no idea.

Oh shit. It’s on son. It’s on. 

Karkat let out a short laugh, shaking his head slightly at their antics. He turned back to Aradia. “Shall I accompany you into the city? I heard that there was a new merchant in town.”

“I would but I’m afraid this was just a short visit, I left Nepeta back at the docks and I’m worried she’ll start eating all of our catch for the midsummer festival. They like to spoil her too much.” They began to walk back towards the temple, red lights beneath their feet melding easily together. There wasn’t much difference in their symbols; Karkat’s light was simply a brighter shade of red. 

“It’s hard not to spoil her,” He said, smiling as he thought of Aradia’s bodyguard. Nepeta was a rather unique individual. She was trained in every fighting style imaginable, an expert in over half, and knew how to use every object around her for a lethal blow. Yet despite all this, she had the most adorable kitten face and kind personality that it was impossible not to trust her and want to spoil her rotten. She was Aradia’s only guard that went with her on her excursions; Nepeta was more than enough to handle any adversary. 

When he bid Aradia farewell he returned to his own chambers, hearing the faint echoes of laughter down the hall. The room was oddly silent when he entered; with no one there beside him it felt lonely. He sat down in his desk chair, leaning his chin on a fist while he pulled out a piece of paper and searched in his drawer for a writing utensil. His pen scratched against the paper idly, tapping as he tried to think about all he had to do. 

Set up for the festival.  
Greet the new merchant.  
Buy Cronus another blanket.  
Repaint door handles.  
Clean the shrines.  
The list went on.

He sighed, and tilted his head back, staring up at the ceiling. Dave was right, he did spend a lot of his time with his eyes turned skyward. 

It was going to be a rather long night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments or at my tumblr, skriiven.tumblr.com where I post updates and other oneshots that I write. 
> 
> Characters © Hussie

_The new merchant is an outsider?_

_Look at all those piercings._

_Tribal markings…_

_What’s with his hair?_

Eridan glared down at his gloved hands, pounding out the new piece of jewelry and curling the thick wire in ways he was sure many of the peasants hadn’t seen before. Were they even trying to be quiet? 

And there was nothing wrong with his hair! Just because these heathens had never heard of the new style did not mean his hair was strange. Blood colored hair was all the rage, and Eridan thought it was edgy to have a streak of it dyed violet. They’d learn soon enough how cool he was.

He held the necklace up; his own violet light shining through the dark green gemstone that hung from it, making it sparkle elegantly. The wire was wrapped around it, holding it in place. His audience made several noises of appreciation, silencing most of them about his extravagant looks. 

He laid the necklace back down to finish attaching the clasp, feeling irritated at how they insisted on watching and yet they stood a few feet back. If they wanted to see how it was done they should be standing a lot closer, and if not then he’d appreciate it if they got lost!

He did not fancy himself to be an exhibition.

Although the people could be irritating, Eridan had to admit the city was beautiful. Out by the tribes, where he was from, they lived in the desert near a large oasis. The lines that ran along Alternia couldn’t go through the desert because the sand would just bury them, so his people had long since developed the skill to navigate with the light of the stars and moon, their amulets only softly glowing cool colors of purple. Most all of the tribes were of violet, purple, or tyrian blood. It was one of their most identifying traits, besides the tattoos shark-like teeth. 

To be honest, they were pretty easy to recognize. 

The tribes were almost of a different species than other Alternians, adapting to different environments quickly. Alternians from the city, at least the ones he had talked to, couldn’t imagine going anywhere without their lights filling the space around them. None of them knew what it was like to walk in darkness, with only nature to guide them. Eridan thought that was a little sad.

The metal slipped in his hands, as he wasn’t paying close enough attention, scratching across the gemstone in two jagged lines. He grimaced, fingers curling around it and about to throw it in the scrap pile when two olive green eyes appeared above his worktable. 

“Can I help you?” Eridan questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s quite a pretty trinket you have there.” She had an interesting accent, where she rolled her r’s and stressed her vowels in odd places. 

“Maybe it was but I can’t sell it now, it’s ruined.” He dangled the gem in front of her, showing her the marks across the stone.

Faster than he could blink the necklace was swiped out of his hand. Eridan found himself looking at a very pretty woman wearing a military uniform, her hair cut in a bob and curling around her cheeks. She had a basket of fish in one hand and was examining the necklace with the other. She then tossed the necklace in the air and caught it while looking at him, grinning. “If you don’t have any need for it, why don’t you let little old Nepeta have it, hm?”

Eridan leaned over his worktable, elbows pressed against the wood. “Did you just refer to yourself in the third person?” He raised a pierced eyebrow, holding out a hand.

Nepeta pouted at him and dropped the necklace in his waiting palm. “I didn’t ask you to comment on my charming ways of speech.”

“Mhm, charming.” Eridan repeated, glancing down at the necklace. He could remove the gemstone and replace it with another, but he’d also have to replace the wiring around it. The gemstone was so held in place by it that it’d be impossible to smooth the wire back out to make it look nice with a new gem. Wire was expensive and he couldn’t afford to let anything go to waste, his whole scrap pile was full of items that he had to go through and fix. He pulled down the pair of glasses he had sitting on his head, inspecting the damage more closely.

Those big, olive eyes filled his vision once more, as she was several inches from his face. She was giving him puppy eyes. Or he supposed kitten eyes would be more fitting in this case. She had a very particular feline look about her. Either way she’d have to do better than that to get him to give in, these things were expensive! Why did she want a ruined necklace anyways, just earlier he had gotten an order from a fashionably dressed lady for five completely new and original items. He’d have to start thinking of the designs tonight.

But that was beside the point. The necklace was garbage now. 

Nepeta pouted when she realized she wasn’t going to get her way as easily as usual. Her pout quickly turned into a glare as she leaned her hip against his worktable, the basket of fish pulled into her lap.

“You drive a hard bargain mister stingy spectacles.”

Eridan looked at her with veiled amusement, glancing at the basket with curiosity, the necklace sitting in his closed fist.

She opened her basket and pulled out two unfortunate fish. Holding them by the tails she slapped them on the table. Eridan wrinkled his nose as dirty water contaminated his workspace. The fish stared back at him with dead eyes, haunting him with a brief memory before he blinked and looked back up at Nepeta. 

“You’re bribing me with fish?” He questioned coolly. “Honey, the only thing that’ll tempt me is something a little colder and a lot shinier. I’m a tribesman, fish ain’t nothing new.”

Nepeta rolled her eyes, “Gimme a break, Honey.” She mocked, “These aren’t just any old fish. These are the best damn fish on this side of the coast. Specifically these two fish right here, see that luster? The feel of tender flesh right beneath the scales? And just think, I am offering up these two delicacies, so rare that I may never come across them again, just to have a faulted necklace. How’s that for a deal?”

He wondered if she had a job in selling real estate.

Before Eridan could reply to her ridiculous sales pitch, a tough looking lady entered the scene, garbed in a royal maroon and what looked like very unofficial clothes.

Eridan was no fool; he bowed his head to the Empress as she approached. An uncomfortable feeling settled into his gut from the familiar gesture, angry at how natural it was to him when he shouldn’t have to bow to anyone. If only they knew who he was.

But no, those nights were gone. Who he once was, he could no longer be.

“Please, raise your head. I only came to collect my wayward guard, I hope she hasn’t caused you too much trouble.” Eridan stood up straight, slightly surprised at the kindness in her voice.

Nepeta was frowning at her, “You are interrupting a crucial point in my haggling expertise. I almost had him!”

The Empress gave her a pointed look, “From what I see you’re simply being a pest. Something you’re all too good at when we visit the docks, now you’re extending that to the marketplace? Shame on you.” Nepeta stuck out her tongue as the Empress turned back to Eridan.

“I’m so sorry I can’t stay to meet you formally, but I have business I must attend to elsewhere.” She said in apology for her hasty entrance and exit. She seemed like the kind of person that was always on the go.

A fake smile slithered easily into place on Eridan’s face, “Of course, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Nepeta complained as the Empress dragged her away from the booth and Eridan glanced down at the two fish still lying on his table.

_Never take without giving something equal or greater in exchange._

Eridan sighed at the voice in his head, something he thought he had gotten rid of over the years. He leaned out of his booth, “Nepeta.” He called, seeing the cat-like woman not too far away. She turned at the sound of her name and he threw the necklace to her. It sailed through the air and she caught it out of reflex. When she saw it was the necklace she grinned at him and gave him a thumbs up. 

Eridan made a shooing motion with his hand for her to keep following the Empress, and then frowned down at the two fish before him. He grabbed them by the tails and held them up; the crowd around his booth had long since departed, so it was only to himself when he asked “And what am I supposed to do with these when my shop isn’t even closed yet?”

“Am I interrupting something?” A lower voice interrupted his thoughts and Eridan almost threw the fish in exasperation.

Why was everyone talking to him?!

He looked away from the fish and into the burning red eyes of the Zenith, almost letting out a yelp in surprise. The Zenith laughed in return as Eridan scrambled to find a place to put the fish and ended up shoving them in a drawer.

“I didn’t mean to startle you but I make it a point to know the name of everyone in the city.” The Zenith said, holding out a hand to Eridan. “My name is Karkat.”

“Everyone knows your name,” Eridan pointed out as he shook the hand of the most revered person in Alternia. “I’m Eridan, humble artisan hoping to make some coin in this ridiculously large city.”

“I wouldn’t be so daunted, everyone’s just hoping to make some coin, and the city is really simple once you get to know it. I should know since I built it that way. Oh, that sounded conceited didn’t it; I was trying to go for consoling.” Karkat frowned as he muttered the last part to himself. Then the Zenith did something odd and paused for a moment with his head tilted like he was listening to some one. An irritated look crossed his face before it smoothed out and he smiled again at Eridan. 

“I would very much like to know more about your life.” Karkat said, and a sudden flash of dread ran through Eridan. His breath hitched up for a moment before he picked up a necklace in his workspace and hung it on the rafters above where many trinkets were already hung and glimmered.

“There’s not really much to tell, I’m just from an unimportant tribe in the southwest, close to the Cherubim border. I grew up with a father and a mother and a brother, my childhood friend came with me here, and I send letters back to my family probably once a month or so. They tend to nag me if I don’t report back often enough, you know?” Eridan paused for an awkward moment when he realized that the Zenith probably didn’t know, considering the bearer of the Zenith always passed on during his birth.

Karkat smiled and nodded all the same, “I can only imagine! What made you decide to take up this craft? And come to the city no less. I’m sure you had great business near the border, tourists love buying trinkets and baubles.”

Eridan mentally sighed in relief, thinking through his rehearsed lines. “Well I always loved jewelry ever since I was little,” That much was true, “So I knew it was something I wanted to do as soon as I came of age to choose my craft. I came here because I didn’t want to stay in one place my entire life, I wanted to get out and see the sights before I even consider settling down. My friend, Feferi, came with me cause she was worried I’d get to caught up in the city life and would lose all my belongings from gambling it away.” Eridan smiled fondly, “She’s working down by the docks with the fishermen.”

“Ah, so you have yet to be tempted by the Serkets’ den of secrets and debauchery.” Karkat teased, “That would be a good place to stay away from, she’ll pour you a drink just as fast as she picks your pocket.”

“So I’ve heard!” Eridan exclaimed, latching onto the change of topic. “Is it true that she once gambled against the notorious Spades Slick and had him down to his trousers at the end of the night?”

“Never bet against a Serket. That’s all I can say on the matter, I think a seer’s blood runs through their veins cause they’re never wrong. That makes them all the trickier too.” Karkat paused once again listening to that invisible voice and then he nodded, “By the way, I almost forgot to ask, but you said you were from the south western tribes. You wouldn’t happen to know if any of them have had any children go missing three years ago, would you?”

Eridan pursed his lips as though he were thinking, wiping the wooden surface of his table and picking out new materials for making a new ring. “No, I don’t believe I’ve heard of anything. Why do you ask?”

“There’s a boy that I’ve adopted who is clearly from one of the tribes, but he’s too young to remember anything and I was just maybe hoping to get some more background information on him. I suppose it doesn’t really matter anyways, he is who he is.” Karkat looked up at the shining stars and galaxies above that colored the sky in a reflection of the earth. “I suppose I should be off now, I still have to buy the kid a new blanket.” 

Eridan felt himself moving before his mind could actually process what was going on. He was reaching over the booth and had caught the Zenith’s arm, “Wait, what’s this boy’s name? That you took in?”

Karkat looked at him in surprise. “I named him Cronus.”

Eridan’s fingers slipped from Karkat’s arm and he smiled in apology. “Sorry, I was curious.” Karkat smiled and then waved goodbye, leaving Eridan alone once more.

Eridan looked down at his gloved hands, clenching them into a fist and then letting his fingers curl slowly open. “Cronus.” He murmured, “That’s a good name.”


	3. Chapter 3

_I guess… this was it. This is the end. This was the ending that we had been waiting for, for a game that should have never been started in the first place. If I had listened to Sollux maybe… Well it was too late now._

_They were all gone._

_The only people left were the two humans standing beside me, a common feeling among us as we waited in that bright light. I had hated them at first, but now, their hands held in mine. Well. I wouldn’t have it any other way._

_I looked up at Dave, those infuriating shades missing from their perch, the smirk wiped off his face. He glanced at me with those matching red eyes and I could see the fear in there. He was just as scared as I was, this was either going to end well or we were going to be obliterated. We really didn’t know._

_Dave glanced over my head to John, who tightened his grip in my hand. I glanced down at the strange union and froze as our hands began to fade. I glanced up at the light ahead and a panic fell over me._

_There was something I still had to say, something that I should have said long ago but was too stubborn and stupid to acknowledge it. It was too late now though, I couldn’t move or speak anymore. I wasn’t even sure if I was still tangible, I was just surrounded by white, and then nothing._

Karkat woke with a start, air pulling into his lungs like he had been drowning. His hand shot out and scrambled in the dark to find the amulet on the table next to his bed. A comforting red glow washed through the room as he put it on and rubbed it in his fingers with a nervous habit. A shadow moved in the corner of his eye and he whipped around to stare at an empty window.

Rain fell down outside, some of it catching on the open shutters of his window and dripping onto the stone floor. The sound was maximized as Karkat’s luminescent green eyes locked onto the small puddle, drop after drop sending ripples and making the water grow. 

He slipped out of bed and fixed his robe loosely around his shoulders, hands sliding along the red shutter frames to shut them softly. He caught sight of his fingers shaking and grimaced. It wasn’t even a nightmare, what was he so worked up about?

He couldn’t shake that feeling that he was being watched, by something very near and not very friendly. Karkat turned, sweeping the dim room with a quick look; his searching confirmed that he was in fact, very much alone.

“Dave, are you there? I had a dream.” Karkat said aloud, rubbing his head as he sat back down on his bed, elbows resting on his knees. His knees suddenly felt weak and he all but fell onto the mattress.

I was wondering when we’d have to have the talk. You see Karkat, when a man loves a woman- woah, hey man, you okay? You don’t look too good. Oh shit. Dirk get over here, something’s wrong with Karkat!

Dave’s voice sounded faint, like an echo off cavern walls. Darkness ebbed at Karkat’s vision and he felt the pull of sleep sink into his whole being, not even feeling himself falling back against the dark sheets. Karkat’s eyes slipped closed, his mind being dragged deeper and deeper into the depths of a bottomless ocean.

An immeasurable amount of time later, Karkat woke to the sound of bickering. He opened his eyes only to hiss quietly as pain from the bright orange light above him stabbed his eyes. He glanced across the room to the window to see it was still raining, and it was very dark outside. The two brother gods were standing by the window, the one with the pointy shades sitting on the sill while Dave was investigating Karkat’s bookshelf.

I told you for the last time, he’s not my boyfriend. Not anymore at least.

Oh please, you expect me to believe that shit when you guys are making Romeo and Juliet faces any chance you get across the dinner table? Jane’s gonna beat your asses sometime soon with her specialty Crocker brand wooden spoon. You guys are _anything_ but over each other, just kiss and make up already.  Dave paused in his investigation to turn towards Dirk, taking his shades off to clean them with the corner of his red shirt,  although, don’t do that kiss of death that they did cause like, I don’t want some Shakespearean tragedy occurring up here in my house you feel me? That would seriously mess with the vibes that I have so meticulously hung about this place like stockings over a mantle come Christmas time. I don’t want any coal in those stockings Dirk, none whatsoever; I have been on the best behavior of my life, or death for that matter, and none of you will stand in the way of getting my presents from the fat man. I have worked too hard for this.

You do realize it’s not even close to Christmas, and I believe breaking my robot constitutes as a coal deserving action. Added to that, you called me over here and this is an apartment, not a house. Anyways, just drop it, sleeping beauty’s waking up.

Hey princess! Dave turned to Karkat with a smirk on his face, though it was very close to being an actual smile. Dave must have been worried about him more than he was letting on.

Karkat groaned, “Can we dim the lights here, I hurt enough as it is, I don’t want premature blindness to be added to my list of debilitating occurrences this evening.”

Sorry about that, Dirk said, the light gone from above Karkat in a matter of seconds, it was necessary to get rid of the poison, free of charge this time, only cause my bro was crying like a baby, I was not!  Next time I’m gonna charge you double. 

“I thought you weren’t allowed to enter the affairs of the mortal world?” Karkat questioned, sitting up cautiously and rubbing a hand over his eyes. 

We can’t, at least we can’t go around physically interacting with you like Zeus did, impregnating humans and animals on a whim, wow that is a sexy swan right there, and all that razzle dazzle. Get to the point.  But we can do our godly duties, you know, the things you guys pray to us for? I mean we’re not just up here for nothing. I actually have a job. Since Dirky here has the whole protection schpeal he’s allowed to protect you. He can only do so much, cause when it’s your time to go then it’s your time to go, but as you can see with this case and your still functioning mind and body, it was not your time to go. Capeesh? Seriously Karkat, sometimes it feels like all you think I do is sit up here and eat Doritos on a fluffy futon free of puppet proboscis, watching your life unfold like my own personal tv drama.

Karkat was pretty sure that was all that Dave did, but not wanting the god to go into a rant about how offended he was, Karkat decided to just nod and get out of bed. “I don’t suppose either of you saw some one leaving?” 

A knock sounded at the door, startling Karkat and making the two gods disappear from the area before answering his question. “Enter.” He called, the doors opening to reveal Kanaya. 

“You look a little worse for wear this evening Karkat, do you feel well?” She asked, coming over to rest a hand on his forehead and then cup his cheek with concern. 

“I’m quite alright Kanaya, I think sleeping with the window open just let in a little draft, I’ll be better as the night goes on.”

Kanaya hummed her disbelief as she got to work, not pressing Karkat any further if he didn’t want to talk about it. Karkat closed his eyes, feeling for the red presence he knew would be nearby.

How come you’re not telling her about you almost dying? I would think that would be the first thing on your un-ironic to-do list that you make every single night. 

Because then she’s just going to worry about me needlessly and I’ll have a bunch of guards following me everywhere I go. I’ll just have to keep my eyes open more; nothing’s happened in so long that I let my guard down.

Don’t you think having guards is something you _need_ in this situation?

I’m not going to live my life coddled by others, this place isn’t a cage, it’s a sanctuary and I won’t have armored troops marching through it with giant weapons that’ll scare the kids. 

Dave was silent for a long while, and Karkat had thought that maybe he was busy elsewhere with his “godly duties”. It wasn’t until Karkat had already picked out his outfit for the night, wearing pants for once, that Dave replied.

Just be careful, okay? We can only do so much to help you out.

I will. And Dave?  Karkat paused as his dream resurfaced in his mind.  Thanks for being there with me, not just right now but at the end.

I could say the same to you.

Karkat smiled softly as he smoothed his red tunic, wrapping a bundle of silver and black chains around his waist while Kanaya smoothed his rolled up sleeves. She was always frustrated when he rolled up the sleeves of his shirts, but they were too restricting otherwise! He glanced towards the window, the rain was only a drizzle now and looked like it’d soon stop. “What are your plans for the kids tonight?” He asked, ruffling up his hair when Kanaya’s back was turned after she had just smoothed it.

“I thought maybe we’d go exploring in the woods and learn about plants tonight, Meulin’s been acting up lately from being too cooped up in the classroom so I thought it’d be good to give her some room to run.”

“Perhaps I’ll join you in a little while, that sounds nice.”

Kanaya grinned at him, “Are you trying to get out of your paperwork? You know that Psiion is expecting the financial reports within the week.”

“Aradia is supposed to be doing that, she just pushed it on me because she wanted to go swimming.” Karkat restrained himself from rolling his eyes, following Kanaya out of the room. As he closed the doors he glanced back inside for only a moment more, the darkness of the room suddenly feeling very overwhelming and ominous. “And besides, I just don’t feel like being alone tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> characters © Hussie
> 
> Sorry it's a little shorter this time around! I hope I'm doing the Striders justice, I love them so much but they are difficult characters to pin down. Any thoughts as to who the assassin is? Eheheh
> 
> Gosh darn it's hard to write when switching today and tonight, sorry if I slip up anywhere I'm gonna run through this another time hahaha.


	4. Chapter 4

Rain dripped through Eridan’s roof, much to his disgruntlement because he had just bragged to Feferi about how he’d fixed that just a little bit earlier.

“Yup, you sure are some spectacular handyman,” Feferi teased as she tossed him a bucket to put under the falling water.

“You don’t need to rub it in, Fef.” Eridan pouted, giving her a glare over his shoulder from his crouched position. 

“Oh but I do, you don’t have enough people teasing you. Without me, just think of what would happen to you, why I’d think you’d fly away with your head full of hot air!” She skipped over from her spot at the stove and pushed his shoulder lightly, “Come on, lighten up a bit, I didn’t expect you to know how to fix the leak when you’ve never had to do something like that before we came to Prospit.” She then grabbed him, spinning him around and shoving him towards the small kitchen table to sit.

“Gee, thank you for that wonderful reminder about our current situation.” Eridan said sarcastically, dropping his chin into his hand with a huff.

Feferi grinned at him and went back to the stove to look after their breakfast, sliced up fish and toast. She tried to put it off at first, but Eridan’s words struck a chord within her. She tried to stay silent, she and Eridan had gotten into many fights about this before and she didn’t want to start something so early in the evening, but the more she was quiet, the more it ate at her on the inside. She grabbed two plates and placed the fish on them, unable to keep quiet any longer. “Are you really going to do it?” She asked, placing the pan back on the stove and then pressing her hands against the cool counter surface as if to brace herself, her back still turned to Eridan. She stared down at the spirals tattooed on her arms, symbols of her loyalty to her liege.

“I don’t have a choice. If I don’t do what he says, you know what’s going to happen, and I can’t allow that.” Eridan played with his piercings absentmindedly, his thoughts turning towards darker nights that were in his past. He faintly heard screams echoing in his head, the crackling of fire and the clash of steel. No, he definitely couldn’t let that happen, not again.

Feferi whirled around, skirt flowing around her legs as she placed his plate in front of him, “But you do have a choice.” She leaned in closer, placing a strong hand on his shoulder. “Let’s just go, Eridan.” She whispered, “Let’s find a place where he’ll never look, where we can never be found. We could do it.”

“Sh,” Eridan cut her off with a raised hand. He looked to the windows, which still held some daylight, with a cautious gaze. “You don’t know who is listening.” 

“Eridan please. Just let Gamzee do the job, don’t get involved.”

A knock sounded at the door, startling the two. Eridan pointed at Feferi and her place at the table before getting up to open the door. When the wood creaked open he had to look up to find the individual’s eyes; Gamzee towered over him with a handsome and frightening countenance. 

“Greetings my brother, care to invite me in?” His voice was deep, charming if not for that sinister undertone lying deep within. He wore the garb of an entertainer, his new job in the city. It gave him an excuse to be walking the streets during the day.

Eridan waved him in, shutting the door behind the tall purple-blooded alternian. “We didn’t know you’d be visiting so early, I’m afraid we only have enough breakfast for the two of us.” Feferi glared at Gamzee from her seat at the table, never a fan of the particular tribesman. Eridan and Feferi had known each other since they were small children. Gamzee on the other hand was in the same tribe as them, but they had only begun speaking recently.

“That’s just motherfucking fine, I’m not staying long anyways.” Gamzee said, nonplussed. He grabbed an apple from within a wicker basket on their table and leaned his hip against the counter, his dark purple eyes gazing at Eridan as he took a bite.

Eridan masked a shudder and sat back down, feeling as though they had a very dangerous predator prowling within their home. Well, that was very close to the truth.

“I came to tell you that the game is on, as per orders, I have delivered the message to the Zenith and we are on standby to see his answer.” Gamzee punctuated his speech with vicious bites out of the poor fruit in his hands.

Eridan’s fingers curled under the table as he thought back to the kindness from the Zenith he had received the night before. How easy going and friendly Karkat had been. It wasn’t hard to hurt some one like that. Eridan shook bright red eyes from his mind as he thought of his people, waiting beneath the night sky for his return.

“Oh?” Eridan said, feigning interest, “So soon?”

Gamzee paused and Eridan froze in fear that he might question Eridan’s loyalty, but he was merely observing the core of his apple. He took slow steps to Eridan with a lithe grace; leaning by the violet-blood’s ear as he dropped the apple core onto is plate. Eridan could feel the slight breath against his neck as Gamzee spoke. “My brother should not forget what is at stake here. I will not forgive the motherfucker who messes this up, peasant or king. You may have saved your reason for life, but I have not.” Gamzee straightened up; face going lax and a smile curling his lips. “Thanks for the food.” He tipped his head to Feferi before leaving, the room suddenly relieved with a peaceful air at his departure. 

Eridan and Feferi avoided each other’s gaze, spending the rest of that evening in silence before going to their respective jobs.

 

_Back in the sanctuary_

 

It was almost midnight, as Karkat sat at his desk, tapping his pen while idly flicking through financial reports from Psiion. Whoever was in charge of them seemed to be a real joker, alternating every line with red and blue ink. It was starting to give Karkat a massive headache on top of the shitty night he had already had.

Within his top desk drawer was a note, hidden beneath books and papers, which wrote of his doom should he not withdraw his support of Calliope. He had found the small green paper tucked beneath his pillows, and he wasn’t sure when it had been placed there. He didn’t feel safe in his own home, and he worried about his kids. 

Maybe he should get some guards, just to post in the hallways should something happen, but no, he couldn’t do that, if Aradia knew what kind of danger he was really in he’d never be allowed to walk among his people again. He’d be locked inside the palace indefinitely. 

Karkat rubbed his forehead, wishing that he could figure it all out. Regardless of all his problems, the poison attempt only strengthened his resolve in making sure that Caliborn didn’t assume the throne. 

“Am I interrupting something?” Aradia’s voice came from the window where she sat with her leg hitched over the sill. “Really Karkat, you should look into getting some security, if the citizens didn’t love you so much I’d be worried about assassination attempts.”

Karkat forced a laugh, “Hah, yes, good thing, that would not be good. No indeed.” He shifted in his chair so that he could face her straight on, noticing a hand from beneath the window’s edge, pushing Aradia’s leg so that she would go inside. Karkat assumed that attached to the hand was Nepeta. 

Aradia jumped in and did a twirl until she was face to face with Karkat, grabbing his hands and pulling him up to whirl him around. Karkat felt a smile grow on his face involuntarily at this outburst; obviously she had some very good news.

“Guess what?” She waited for maybe half a second before continuing, “The Psiionic is coming to visit!”

Karkat paused in surprise and then gave Aradia a sly look, “I wasn’t aware you still kept up contact with him, didn’t you only just get back from there last week?” He asked, as he was flopped back down in his chair with Aradia perching on the edge of his desk. Nepeta had entered the room silently while the commotion was going on and fallen onto Karkat’s bed, playing with some object in her hands while the two talked.

“Oh we talk all the time, he’s like my best friend! Sure we’ve only exchanged words for a short amount of time but it feels like I’ve known him forever. He finally got a break from his work and said he wanted to check out the capital, apparently he’s never gotten a chance to visit Prospit before.”

“When are you expecting him?” 

“If all goes well with his new ship, he should be here within the week!”

Karkat had to take a moment to think of Alternia’s geography, recalling childhood lessons from the Dolorosa. “Why… is he taking a ship… when Psiion is connected by land right next to Prospit? Is that really necessary?”

Aradia laughed, “He’s very proud of his ships and probably wishes to show his newest work off to the people of Prospit, and most importantly to you.”

“Me? What do I have anything to do with this?”

“Oh, nothing, except for the fact that you’re like, the symbol of this entire country. Do you realize what impact you have on people?”

“I… Well…” Karkat was at a loss for words as he looked down at his fingers, curling them one by one. He really didn’t think he did all that much, and what he did do was very little in comparison to everything else going on. He took care of the shrines and he talked to his people, why was that so amazing?

“You’re like a god, this mythical, benevolent being who for some reason graces our presence nightly. Every part of this country that I visit, and even other countries themselves, always ask questions about you, I feel like that’s all I talk about! The Psiionic himself has asked at least twenty, although he tries to be discreet.”

“That sounds like a gross exaggeration. I hardly could think people would think that way of me when I’m standing right next to the Empress that’s successfully ruled this land straight into an era of peace and prosperity.”

“Only because I had your guidance and council. I may rule this country but you’re the people’s true leader.”

“I-“

“No, shush, accept my praise and acknowledge your awesomeness. Drop the whole humble schtick for a few moments and feel a little proud, I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“I don’t know about that,” When Aradia looked as though she was going to hit him Karkat continued, “But I’ll take what you have to say into consideration.”

“You better.” She eyed him ruefully, and then glanced at the papers on his desk, the bright fonts catching her eye. “Oh, hey, this looks like the Psiionic’s work right here.”

“So I have him to thank for my headache.” Karkat said, reshuffling the papers into two separate piles and shoving one of them at Aradia with a look. She took the stack begrudgingly and grabbed a pen from his desk drawer.

“I think it’s festive.” She said, scanning the text.

“You think everything is festive.”

“Do not!”

“You once told me that a corpse could be festive if you brought enough party hats.”

“Lies and slander.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It would be good to note:  
> evening=morning  
> midnight=afternoon  
> and vice versa!
> 
> Though you had probably already figured that out.
> 
> Also Alternia is a fairly large country and it has an entirely coastal border to the right, so ships are _pretty_ important to them. And if you didn't notice it, I only just decided on a name for the capital, Prospit (I know very original, but it works), so yeah now I can call it something other than the capital. I'll introduce more cities/areas as they come into play but for right now the only major ones are Psiion and Prospit.
> 
> characters © Hussie


	5. Chapter 5

Sollux felt excitement grow in the pit of his belly at the first sight of the colorful city. He was perched on the railing of a giant ship, legs swinging dangerously high above the water and his long fingers curled around the mahogany wood. As his ship neared the docks he could see more clearly that it was a controlled chaos, and just as beautiful as he’d always pictured it. He turned to look back at his crew as they guided the ship to the port, a satisfied smirk on his face. He whirled his long legs over the railing and jumped back onboard, giving a glare whenever one of the crew commented on his good mood.

Well he had a reason to be in a good mood, didn’t he? He hadn’t been on vacation in over five years; he had every right to be happy! Aradia had been working on him her entire visit to come a visit the capital, near the end her enthusiasm had worn completely through him but he hadn’t wanted to let her know he’d caved. 

Smooth, Sollux, coming to visit barely a week after she’d left, that didn’t seem coincidental at all. 

Sollux mentally rolled his eyes while he simultaneously rolled up the cuffs on his tight fitted jacket. The capital was a lot warmer than he had expected, probably because it wasn’t full of nitpicky mages who constantly required air conditioning. 

Said nitpicky mages were the ones navigating the ship, and he couldn’t help but snicker at the differences in physique that the capital’s dockworkers had from his crew. Well mages were not known for their large muscle mass, so it was only to be expected.

As his eyes scanned the crowd below he caught sight of a familiar maroon glow, belonging to the Empress as she waited. She was talking to a pretty tyrian worker, but as though she knew he was looking, she glanced up towards him and smiled with arms waving largely in greeting. He smiled back, giving a very slight wave in response. 

As his arm dropped, another Alternian stepped out from behind Aradia where she had been hiding him from view. He froze in place for a moment at the sight of the Zenith, who was not what he was expecting at all. Sollux had been expecting a rough looking man who looked as though he had lived for millennia, the Alternian before him barely looked twenty. 

The gangplank was set down and Sollux disembarked from the ship, immediately to be gripped in a fierce hug from the Empress. “You’re still all skin and bones! What did I tell you about eating correctly.” She reprimanded, squeezing his forearm, which he jerked back ruefully. 

“I seem to recall you not being my mother.” Sollux grinned down at her stern face before looking into the bright red eyes next to her. There was something about Karkat’s face, something so serene, calm, and just… fake. It annoyed Sollux.

“So you must be the Zenith, Aradia has told me so much about you. I’m surprised though, I would have thought you’d be taller.” Sollux didn’t know what possessed him to say that, but he just wanted to budge something on that perfect face. Perfect face? No, that’s not what he meant. He meant… aesthetically pleasing… in a professional way. 

Karkat’s smile didn’t even falter. “I’m sorry to hear that, we can’t all be gifted with your height. You remind me of one of the plants growing in my garden.”

“A plant?”

“Yes, a string bean.” 

Sollux felt the laugh escape from his mouth before he could even think about it, bursting from him like a broken dam. He turned his face away, holding a hand in front of his mouth to try and hide the smile and turn the laugh into a cough. What was that?! That was the worst comeback he’d ever heard. 

Karkat raised his eyebrow at Sollux as the taller Alternian turned back around to face them. “Excuse me, I think the sea air affected my throat a bit.”

Aradia looked at him dubiously, but nodded anyways, “Then let’s be away from this scandalous area of watery contaminants.” She hooked her arm in Sollux’s, motioning to Nepeta at her side. “Make sure his things are secured at the palace, could you?”

“You got it boss.” Nepeta saluted her. 

Aradia steered Sollux away from the docks, Karkat falling in step on her other side. They took a more scenic route rather than just heading straight for the palace, Aradia wanted to know all about Sollux’s trip. Karkat kept his comments on how redundant taking a ship to the same country was to his self. 

“Everything was going well until my brother decided to hack into my ship’s mainframe and have it take off before we’d even gotten on the damn thing. There we were, a whole crew just sitting there and watching it sail into the horizon, quite beautiful if I wasn’t so damn mad at the time. It took two hours for us to catch him, and another hour for him to sail the thing back into port. That’s why I’m running a little late, I would have been here earlier had he not been such an ass.” Sollux ranted, much to Aradia’s chagrin. From what Karkat could understand, Mituna was like a rogue mage who just liked to mess with his little brother. Karkat didn’t quite know where he fit in Psiion, it seemed like all Mituna did was cause trouble.

Karkat? I know you’re having a spanking ripsnorter of a night right now, but is there any possibility I could assail you with my woes for a moment or two?

What the fuck could you possibly want to talk about that the other good for nothing gods can’t listen to?

Well if you have no kerchief and an ear for me, I’ll take my leave. I wouldn’t want to annoy you with my insignificant problems, seeing as you’re incredibly busy with tromping across the country on a regular adventure.

Just tell me what you want Jake.

Are you sure? I mean this really is quite an accosting botheration.

Do you have anything you even want to say? Your words are so cumbersome to hear and decode that I’m getting a headache just from a few sentences.

Yeah, I’m just fucking with you old sport.

DO NONE OF YOU GODS EVER DO YOUR JOBS?! Am I just some sentient toilet for you shits to defecate words in my mind, bothering me at all hours of the night because some one stole your fucking Dorito or some one pissed in your apple juice!?

Well you don’t need to get your knickers in a knot, we are having a good romp up here now and then but it’s not all buffoonery and shenanigans. We were kids once, you know. Still are, really.

Karkat stared down at the ground, his own glaring red light shining back at him. They were at the city’s limits and beginning to enter the forest where the sanctuary was located. Trees twisted above them in a dark canopy, and chittering animals hid in the underbrush. Moonlight fell through the cracks of leaves, illuminating their pathway and reminding Karkat of just why he loved the night so much. 

Karkat often forgot that the gods weren’t always immortal, as Dave liked to remind him. It was easy to forget, but that didn’t make it any better. It just seemed like they had been there forever, like Karkat had been there forever. Alternia seemed like it never changed, constantly in this frozen state of peace and tranquility. 

I’ll listen.

Jolly good, cause really, this would be a tad bit embarrassing to blather on about to the others. You see I’ve been having a few relationship issues. Okay, no. That’s a load of bullocks. It’s actually one problem that’s a really big problem… oh shucks buster, this is more difficult than I thought… Anyhoo, what I’m trying to defecate into your mind here, is that I require some sage-like advice and I’ve been told on frequent occasions that you’re the best person to talk to about that.

Karkat found it slightly amusing that the god of fertility was having relationship issues. 

I do like to consider myself well versed on the situation of love and all other aspects.

Great. Okey doke, so here’s the gist. Let’s say that there’s this fellow, who wants nothing to do with me, for very good reason let me tell you. I mean, he is completely in the right to elude my presence every time I seek him out, considering I’m indubitably the most blundering dillywog to walk the face of the planet-

Come on Jake, stay on track.

Right, well, how do I get him to… not do that. To not disappear every time we’re alone in the same room. How do I fix a blunder so bad he doesn’t even want to see my face?

Jake’s voice had grown soft, not the usual boisterous tone that accompanied dark green words. Karkat wondered where he was, wherever the gods lived above them, and if he was alone. Karkat was closer with some gods than others, Jake being one of the ones that he spoke to on very rare occasions, but it would be wrong of him to say that he felt no connection. Karkat cared about the gods; as much as he liked to deny it, and it didn’t sit well with him that they weren’t perfect, all knowing beings and had their own surprisingly mortal issues.

The only way to fix something is to talk it out.

But the darned guy won’t sit still long enough for me to even friggin apologize!

Then maybe he doesn’t want an apology. Maybe he just wants you to be clear with him.

Oh Karkat, I fear this business is not for me. Why must romance be so difficult?

I don’t think anyone has an answer to that. If you’re serious about fixing this though, I would recommend getting your superfluous worded ass in gear and getting it right because the longer you wait the worse it’s going to be.

I shall do my best.

“Karkat? Are you even paying attention?” Aradia was waving a hand in front of his eyes, surprising him for a second as he realized they had stopped in front of the temple’s entrance. Sollux was looking at him curiously, but Aradia only looked exasperated. This had happened to her too many times before. 

“Sorry, what were you saying?” Karkat asked, scratching behind his ear sheepishly. 

Aradia sighed, “I was saying, how would you like to show Sollux around the city tomorrow. You could show him some of the awesome sights we have here.” 

“Why can’t you?” That came out ruder than intended, “I mean, are there some plans that you have which prohibit you from spending time with your guest?” 

“Well if you had been paying attention, you would know that tomorrow I have to check in with all of the business owners to make sure they know what’s going on for the summer festival. That’s not exactly the most exciting thing to tag along for.” 

“I’m sure I can find my way around, I am a grown adult you know.” Sollux said, “I don’t require a babysitter at all times.” 

Aradia looked slyly up at him, “Sometimes I’m not so sure. No, you definitely need some one otherwise who knows what trouble you’re going to get into. If I know you, and I do, it will be apocalyptic.” 

Karkat held back a sigh, “Yes, I suppose if you come here tomorrow, around midnight, I can show you the city.” He resigned himself to his fate of tourist guide. 

As he was about to reply, Sollux’s attention was suddenly pulled to the building looming before them, eyes trailing across the ornate stone foundation. He slipped in between the Empress and the Zenith to examine the stones more closely. His fingers trailed along the lit up golden lines that spiraled across the columns, almost as if he was examining something he had written. Then Karkat remembered it was the mages themselves, probably people in Sollux’s family, that had placed the lighted lines all across Alternia. 

“Sorry, it’s just so weird to think that these things are really everywhere.” Sollux said, stepping back a bit to take in the vaulted entrance that led to dark depths within. “I mean, everywhere, even in this forest, it’s crazy.” 

Karkat gave him a strange look, having never known anything else, but Aradia nodded in understanding. “The only region they couldn’t be placed was in the desert, but the nomads appear to be getting along just fine without them.” 

“Amazing.” Sollux said, mainly to himself, “So I’ll meet you here at midnight?” He asked Karkat, who nodded in confirmation. “Fantastic.” Karkat couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. “So shall we keep going?” Sollux asked Aradia, “I’d like to make sure they haven’t broken any of my things.” 

Aradia rolled her eyes, “We wouldn’t want that now would we.” She smiled, “I’ll see you later Karkat.” 

Karkat waved them off, watching their mingling glows as they walked deeper into the forest. The palace was on the other side, separated from the main city by a thick band of nature. 

He then turned and entered the temple, opening a closet close to the entrance and grabbing out his broom for his nightly shrine cleaning. He did all of them except Dirk's, where two godly presences sat in an intense, whispered conversation. Karkat had peeked on them for only a moment, noticing Jake was holding tightly to Dirk's hand as though he was afraid of losing him again. 

He felt his chest grow tight for a moment, a pang of jealousy running through him. Jealousy that he didn't have anyone special like that, that he _couldn't_ have anyone special like that. Who would want to be with him when they'd be constantly trying to get his attention away from eight needy gods? Besides, to many people he was less real than a unicorn, even though he was much easier to find. Karkat turned away from Dirk's shrine, heading back along the pathways to the temple. Besides, if Caliborn had his way then there was a good chance he was going to die soon anyways, it wasn't fair to ask anyone to love him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a little longer then I promised!
> 
> characters © hussie


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